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Minimus: Starting Out in Latin Student
SKU
001165
ISBN
9780521659604
Grade 2-5
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Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.
Our Price
$42.50 $42.50 $40.70
Rainbow Savings: $1.80
Description
In the Minimus: Starting Out in Latin text, students will meet Minimus and an actual Roman family that lived in Vindolanda in ancient Britain. Each lesson begins with a full-color, illustrated cartoon with Latin dialogue in speech balloons. A short vocabulary list of the Latin words used in the cartoon follows, with English translations so students begin the program able to read the cartoons. A "Grasp the Grammar" section explains the simple Latin grammar used in the dialogue section. The Latin vocabulary taught is also reflected in root-based exercises, where students identify the Latin word they have learned in the lesson within a familiar English word. At this point another Latin cartoon story is included along with accompanying vocabulary, so there are two cartoon stories per chapter. Chapters are rounded out with tidbits of Roman culture in a "Roman Report" and classic Roman myths or stories to enjoy (in English). Most fascinating, however, are the photos of artifacts related to the Roman family that is featured in the text. This almost brings a little archaeology into the classroom too! At the end of each chapter, vocabulary is reviewed. In short, the chapters are constructed very similarly to Cambridge Latin stages but at a much lower level.
Publisher's Description of Minimus: Starting Out in Latin Student
Join in the fun with Minimus - a mix of myths, stories, grammar support and historical background! This pupil's book is a lively, colourful introduction to the Latin language and the culture of Roman Britain. A fun way to teach English grammar, it is ideal for cross-curricular activities.
Category Description for Minimus Latin Program
The Minimus Latin program for younger children takes a very similar approach as is found in Cambridge Latin (please see description for more details). Students are introduced to basic Latin vocabulary and culture as they follow the adventures of Minimus the mouse throughout the texts. In the Minimus: Starting Out in Latin text, students will meet Minimus and an actual Roman family that lived in Vindolanda in ancient Britain. Each lesson begins with a full-color, illustrated cartoon with Latin dialogue in speech balloons. A short vocabulary list of the Latin words used in the cartoon follows, with English translations so students begin the program able to read the cartoons. A "Grasp the Grammar" section explains the simple Latin grammar used in the dialogue section. The Latin vocabulary taught is also reflected in root-based exercises, where students identify the Latin word they have learned in the lesson within a familiar English word. At this point another Latin cartoon story is included along with accompanying vocabulary, so there are two cartoon stories per chapter. Chapters are rounded out with tidbits of Roman culture in a "Roman Report" and classic Roman myths or stories to enjoy (in English). Most fascinating, however, are the photos of artifacts related to the Roman family that is featured in the text. This almost brings a little archaeology into the classroom too! At the end of each chapter, vocabulary is reviewed. In short, the chapters are constructed very similarly to Cambridge Latin stages but at a much lower level.
While the text is the centerpiece of the program, there are also audio CDs and teacher's resources available. The audio CDs contain performances of the two cartoon dialogues from each lesson, which is helpful in learning the correct pronunciation. If you, as the teacher, have never studied Latin, the Teacher's Resource Guide should be of great help. For each lesson, the teacher's guide includes the English translations of the cartoon stories, background information on the story and Roman subjects of the story, answers or teaching helps for the grammar section, Latin root exercises answers, and suggested cross-curricular extension activities. Each lesson also refers to specific activity sheets, which are included at the back of the teacher's resource. These may be photocopied for the students. A complete glossary of Latin words and a completion certificate are also included in the teacher's resource. Designed as a gentle and entertaining introduction to Latin, this course should be enjoyable for you and your student even if neither of you has any prior experience with Latin. - Jess
Details
| Product Format: | Softcover Book |
|---|---|
| Grades: | 2-5 |
| Brand: | Cambridge University Press |
| Author: | Barbara Bell |
| ISBN: | 9780521659604 |
| Length in Inches: | 10.5 |
| Width in Inches: | 7.75 |
| Height in Inches: | 0.25 |
| Weight in Pounds: | 0.45 |
| Ages: | 7 - 11 |
| Edition: | Student Manual; Illustrated |
| Illustrated by: | Helen Forte |
| Pages: | 80 |
Videos
Reviews
3 Ratings
3 Reviews
Rated 1 out of 5
Jun 15, 2023
Very disappointed
My daughter took a Latin class in a homeschool coop that required this book. I hated it. I have no Latin background and had no idea how to help her with this because they don't provide ANY pronunciation helps or anything. They sell a CD but the CD doesn't read entire lessons. I had to go look up every single Latin word and study YouTube videos and do a bunch of research to be sure I wasn't telling her something wrong. This book might work great for someone who is already well-educated in Latin, but for those of us who have no experience this book is no help.
Rated 5 out of 5
Aug 11, 2008
I am so glad your company started carrying this and Cambridge Latin! I didn't realize Rainbow would have it so I ordered it elsewhere before I received my catalog; when we graduate from Minimus to Cambridge I'll definitely order here! My kids actually ASK to do Latin and we've had a great time It's an expensive program but I would have paid twice as much My kids are learning a ton and they have been able to put the use of Latin in a historical context Great addition to your product line!
Rated 5 out of 5
Jul 3, 2008
We had used a typical Latin program with copy work worksheets and flash cards plus Rosetta Stone to learn pronunciation My 11-year old son was terribly bored after two years and we weren't really sure what either of us had learned And my daughter was so not interested with the copying and worksheets I was tired of it too!Last year we worked with Rosetta Stone alone but it just didn't seem to 'stick' and was just a different form of boring drill So midyear I tried something elseSomewhere online I had read about Minimus; it sounded intriguing It introduces Latin in the context of a Roman family from around 0 - 200 AD living at Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall in England The program was written for classroom use in the UK including British spelling and European-sized paper (The children were interested in the spelling differences; I had to align pages very carefully for copying Not a big deal Program was easy to adapt for home study)We loved it! Each chapter in the student book introduces an aspect of Roman/British life of a real family living in Vindolanda In the student book family members interact in a comic-book style story Next Latin vocabulary is listed to help with the story Brief exercises called "Grasp the Grammar" are provided Further background information is included in a "Roman Report" including photos of artifacts found in the family's home (Even homework corrected by the teaching slave who wrote 'sloppy work'!)The program is named after a mouse who lives with the family: Minimus Another amusing character is the family cat Vibrissa ("Whiskers") who tries to eat the mouse naturally The mouse visits the public bath house shows us the armor and arms of a typical soldier the types of food served and so onThe teacher's guide is a must; so is the audio CD if you do not have another audio program to check pronunciation (such as Rosetta Stone) I would still get this audio CD to hear the character dialogues Class prep is easy: read the chapter in the teacher's guide choose which activities to pursue copy activity pages as needed perhaps gather supplies We studied one chapter per week (there are eleven) Occasionally we took extra days or a second week to further investigate something that intrigued us eg the life of a Roman soldier as compared to a modern US soldier Roman mythology technology (household heating/plumbing) etc We have investigated the geography of England and identified places we want to visit should we find a way to get thereThis is classical Latin not ecclesiastical by the wayMy boy (11) and girl (8) and I enjoyed the program very much The kids wrote/drew freely in their student books I kept the Teacher's Guide clean in order to resell it and recoup some of the cost Both children enjoyed it so much they asked if there was a 'sequel' so we are continuing with Minimus Secundus in the fall This time I purchased the audio CD to hear the dialogues in the chapter storiesWhat we've learned: son notes Latin roots of many of the words we use in English; we try to speak in Latin (hilarious!) Daughter is still absorbing and won't speak it (shy) Both kids have improved markedly in verbal skills (reading/writing/speaking)After Secundus we are interested in moving on to Cambridge Latin (written by the same author and in a similar format) if we decide to pursue study of Latin Finally: from comparing various Latin programs I believe this one is unique and very worthwhile It is very entertaining easy to teach/learn and with multiple levels to pursue if we wish
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Why did you choose this?
Do I need to buy a Minimus: Starting Out in Latin Student book for each child?
No, they would have to take turns or look together at the story, but it’s not consumable. We share ours (with two kids) without a problem.
Is Minimus Latin secular or religious?
Minimus Latin is from a secular publisher.
Are the CD and teacher manual necessary or can you get away with just the student book?
This curriculum was new to me and I did purchase the Teacher Manual. I found it very helpful in giving me historical and cultural background that supported the immersion style of the story driven lessons. It also gave me worksheets and/or activities for each lesson that were reproducible. I have taught this class to 3rd graders for 5 years and I am always referring back to the Manual. I admit I never used the CD but I would make it available to the students. I do not have reliable feedback to know whether it was useful or even used by the children.
This came highly recommended after much research for Latin Curriculum
My 6 year old grandson has expressed an interest in learning Latin. I'm a retired French and Latin teacher and used Cambridge Latin when teaching middle and high school. I loved working with the…
I heard this is a good book for self taught latin.
Highly recommended by a friend!